santa barbara, ca

Zoe’s First Annual Dog Gift Guide

Usually around the holidays we are rushing to buy gifts for important people in our lives, but what about our four-legged, tail wagging, always-happy-to-see-us companions?

Zoe has rounded up a few of her favorite things from the past year.

1) H2O4K9 Water Bottle

As any good dog owner knows, it is especially important to always have fresh water available for your pup. After eyeing some different options I was watching Good Morning America and saw a special deal on this one.

Things Zoe ‘n Me loves about H2O4K9:

The lid becomes the drinking bowl

You never waste water because the lid is designed to allow you to easily pour it right back in

It is very easy to clean and lightweight

Attaches to a carabiner

Made by a company in Southern California

Cool factor because whenever anyone sees Zoe drinking from it they want one

Zoe and I are usually on the go somewhere, either a trail or a beach or running around doing one thing or another. As you can tell from her photos Zoe is not one to carry extra weight around which means I free feed her. Whenever she wants food she gets it, sometimes that means avocados, sometimes that means eggs. But because I feel it is my job to take the very best care of her that I can, I want to make sure everything she eats is the best quality. You combine that with my vet’s caution that kibble is not the best option and now enters freeze dried food. We have tried lots of different ones, but Zoe LOVES this food. We keep a bag in the car for quick treats after an adventure, and also a bag at home to feed on it’s own or crumbled on top of some kibble. You are supposed to add water but we just go dry.

I spent a lot of time trying to find the right collar for Zoe. We needed one that would be durable for her adventures while ideally up to her design standards. Thats when we came across the Eaton collar.

Things Zoe ‘n Me loves about Harry Barker’s Eaton Collar:

Made from recycled plastic water bottles, so we are being environmental

You can see in this in the Eaton collar image, it is by far one of Zoe’s favorite toys. Within the first year of getting her I come to the startling realization that her toys made in China were being digested into her body. All that dye and plastics were going into her little body. I couldn’t take it any more and went on a mission to find USA made toys using only natural products and dyes.

Things Zoe ‘n Me loves about From the Field’s Hemp Rope Toy:

Made from hemp rope, nothing toxic

Provides hours and hours of chewing entertainment

Perfect for tug of war games

Even if it gets chewed through there is enough to continue to be entertained

This was one of the toys I came across during my “ban anything toxic” for my dog phase and Zoe loves these little guys. While most dogs would be focused on any one of the many squeaky sections, Zoe systematically will chew off an ear with surgeon like precision. Right now she has a rabbit missing both ears and a lamb missing one. Next up I am betting will be a leg, hey, it’s a doggy dog world out there.

Things Zoe ‘n Me loves about Simply Fido’s Organic Plush Rabbit Toy:

Made with organic cotton and dyes

Multiple squeaky sections, I mean, if your dog is into that type of thing

Durable enough to stay in one piece, even once it looses an ear, or two

Cotton is very well packed in so you don’t run the risk of squeaky parts getting out like with other plush toys

I remember when Zoe started loosing her puppy teeth and I was scrambling to find her things to chew on that would last more than 3 minutes. Somewhere online I read a suggestion to get an old big sock and put a plastic bottle inside and then tie a knot at the end of the sock. That worked! For about 3 minutes. That’s where this toy is fantastic.